The Actor Ichikawa Ichizō III as Nozarashi Gosuke, likened to Shi Jin the Nine Dragoned (Kyūmonryū Shishin ni hisu), from the “Pine” triptych of the series A Modern Water Margin (Tōsei suikoden)

The Actor Ichikawa Ichizō III as Nozarashi Gosuke, likened to Shi Jin the Nine Dragoned (Kyūmonryū Shishin ni hisu), from the “Pine” triptych of the series A Modern Water Margin (Tōsei suikoden)

Utagawa Kunisada 歌川国貞

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This print is part of a triptych likening Kabuki characters to heroes of the Water Margin (Chinese: Shuihuzhuan; Japanese: Suikoden), a Chinese literary classic of military valor. This triptych is unified by the decorative pine silhouette background. For the other two prints in the triptych, see JP3360 and JP3361. Shi Jin’s tattoo is a spectacular pattern of nine dragons, hence his nickname Kumonryū, "Nine Dragoned."

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Actor Ichikawa Ichizō III as Nozarashi Gosuke, likened to Shi Jin the Nine Dragoned (Kyūmonryū Shishin ni hisu), from the “Pine” triptych of the series A Modern Water Margin (Tōsei suikoden)The Actor Ichikawa Ichizō III as Nozarashi Gosuke, likened to Shi Jin the Nine Dragoned (Kyūmonryū Shishin ni hisu), from the “Pine” triptych of the series A Modern Water Margin (Tōsei suikoden)The Actor Ichikawa Ichizō III as Nozarashi Gosuke, likened to Shi Jin the Nine Dragoned (Kyūmonryū Shishin ni hisu), from the “Pine” triptych of the series A Modern Water Margin (Tōsei suikoden)The Actor Ichikawa Ichizō III as Nozarashi Gosuke, likened to Shi Jin the Nine Dragoned (Kyūmonryū Shishin ni hisu), from the “Pine” triptych of the series A Modern Water Margin (Tōsei suikoden)The Actor Ichikawa Ichizō III as Nozarashi Gosuke, likened to Shi Jin the Nine Dragoned (Kyūmonryū Shishin ni hisu), from the “Pine” triptych of the series A Modern Water Margin (Tōsei suikoden)

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.